Page 9 - Computing Book 8

Internet Search Techniques and e-Safety Class 8

Search engines are very different from subject directories. While humans organize and catalogue
subject directories, search engines rely on computer programs called spiders or robots to crawl the
Web and log the words on each page. With a search engine, keywords related to a topic are typed
into a search "box." The search engine scans its database and returns a file with links to websites
containing the word or words specified. Because these databases are very large, search engines
often return thousands of results. Without search strategies or techniques, finding what you need
can be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Internet Searching Strategies:
Nowadays keywords search on search engines based on improper or slang language which also
results in improper outcomes. To use search engines effectively, it is essential to apply techniques
that narrow results and push the most relevant pages to the top of the results list. Below are several
strategies for boosting search engine performance.

1. Identify Keywords
When performing a search, break down the topic into key concepts. For example, to find
information on what the FCC has said about the wireless communications industry, the keywords
might be:
FCC wireless communication

2. Boolean AND
Connecting search terms with AND tells the search engine to retrieve web pages containing ALL the
keywords:
FCC and wireless and communication
The search engine will not return pages with just the word FCC. Neither will it return pages with the
word FCC and the word wireless. The search engine will only return pages where the words FCC,
wireless, and communication all appear somewhere on the page. Thus, AND helps to narrow your
search results as it limits results to pages where all the keywords appear.

3. Boolean OR
Linking search terms with OR tells the search engine to retrieve web pages containing ANY and ALL
keywords.
FCC or wireless or communication
When OR is used, the search engine returns pages with a single keyword, several keywords, and all
keywords. Thus, OR expands your search results. Use OR when you have common synonyms for a
keyword. Surround OR statements with parentheses for best results.
To narrow results as much as possible, combine OR statements with AND statements.
For example, the following search statement locates information on purchasing a used car:
(Car or automobile) and (buy or purchase) and used

4. Boolean AND NOT
AND NOT tells the search engine to retrieve web pages containing one keyword but not the other.
Dolphins and not Miami
The above example instructs the search engine to return web pages about dolphins but not web
pages about the "Miami Dolphins" football team. Use AND NOT when you have a keyword that has

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